Best of both sports there for Yeatman

April 18, 2006|ERIC HANSEN Tribune Staff Writer

It doesn't have the panache of Jeff Samardzija pitching before record crowds and gaggles of radar guns or the glitz of Tom Zbikowski boxing in Madison Square Garden, but watching 6-foot-6, 250-pound Will Yeatman rumble down the lacrosse field in coming years might provide some not-so-subtle entertainment value.

"I've always been the biggest guy out there," said Yeatman, a senior at Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego and Notre Dame football's latest two-sport aspirant. "A lot of (lacrosse) coaches say I'm the biggest guy they ever recruited, and they figure if I lower my shoulder, maybe it'll be a little easier getting to the goal. But another thing they say is, 'We'd still be recruiting you if you were 5-10 because of the different assets to your game.' I thought that was a nice compliment."

Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis also liked the size of Yeatman's frame -- and his heart. And those are a couple of the reasons he wanted to add the standout tight end to his recruiting class after national letter-of-intent day in early February had passed.

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Yeatman was headed to Notre Dame on a lacrosse scholarship and would walk on to the football team. Eventually, though, if Yeatman played in a football game, NCAA rules stipulate that the lacrosse scholarship would have had to shift over to football's allotment. But when freshman tight end Joey Hiben left the program in mid-February to concentrate on academics, Weis extended the football scholarship offer.

"It really doesn't change that much," Yeatman said via telephone. "I was planning to be a part of the football program this year. The only difference is I may get to compete for some playing time this season."

Sheer numbers dictate that he should get a look this fall. Notre Dame's top two tight ends on the depth chart are senior-to-be John Carlson and fifth-year senior Marcus Freeman. The only other scholarship tight ends are Yeatman and classmate Konrad Reuland, a fellow Californian and one of the more vaunted members of the Irish 28-man recruiting class.

Yeatman was pursued as fervently by lacrosse powers as he was football powers. And Notre Dame wasn't the only school that offered him a chance to play both sports. Maryland, Duke, North Carolina and Ohio State did as well, though the Maryland football coaches got cold feet about the two-sport commitment as signing day neared.

Lacrosse was Yeatman's first love, but football now shares equal billing. Actually, it would have been difficult for him not to at least tolerate lacrosse. His parents, Dennis and Bonnie, both played in high school. Dennis, who went on to play at the Naval Academy, coached the JV team at his alma mater when Will was in diapers. It was not long after, at age 3, that Will started playing.

His older brother, Grant, is a member of USC's club team. Younger siblings Anne Morgan and Jack play organized lacrosse as well. Older sister Caroline is on the women's rowing team at San Diego State, but was a standout lacrosse player in high school before that.

"We have aunts, uncles, cousins who play," Yeatman said. "It's not unusual for us to get the sticks out and play catch at a family function. The only weird thing about all of this, in my opinion, is that my brother plays for USC."

It also would be weird for Yeatman if he had to walk away from one of the sports at some point in his college career, but he accepts that as a possibility.

"If one of the sports turns out not to be the best for me, I could see just focusing on one," he said. "But as long as I love them and can keep my academics up, it would be awesome. I'd be the luckiest guy around."